Category: Champagne

Moet & Chandon Named The Official Champagne Of The PGA of America

Moet & Chandon and The PGA of America announced that Moet & Chandon will be the Official Champagne of The PGA of America.  Moet & Chandon, the champagne of success and glamour since 1743, is enhancing its rich heritage as an icon of victorious celebration and global winning moments with this first foray in American golf, beginning with the Ryder Cup, in September of 2012 in Medinah, Ill.

“One of the world’s most recognized champagnes of choice at premier events, The PGA of America is proud that Moet & Chandon will serve as the Official Champagne of The PGA of America,” said PGA of America President Allen Wronowski. “We cannot envision a better addition to the many magical moments at our Championships than Moet & Chandon.”

Moet & Chandon’s status as the ultimate symbol of success, achievement, and victory was created through an unwavering and triumphant presence at many of the world’s most esteemed competitions and high-profile moments. Moet & Chandon has been at the finish line of international boating and car racing competitions for nearly a century, including the Vanderbilt Cup, Formula One, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the America’s Cup. Moet & Chandon celebrates the elegance and style of tennis on the courts of the U.S. Open, and Roland Garros Barclays ATP World Tennis in London.

Moet & Chandon also symbolizes triumph atop the world’s most revered podiums, including the Cannes International Film Festival, the Golden Globe Awards, and the Academy Awards.

“Moet & Chandon’s partnership with The PGA of America is a natural,” said Ludovic du Plessis, Vice President of Moet & Chandon North America. “Through the magic of champagne, we look forward to creating unique and unforgettable Moet Moments together with The PGA of America and sharing our sense of celebration in the spirit of success and glamour beginning with the Ryder Cup in September as its Proud Partner.”

Under the agreement with The PGA of America, Moet & Chandon will be present at all the important and commemorative moments of the competitions including the iconic “Trophy Moments.” In addition, golf fans at PGA of America events will be able to enjoy their golf with a logoed commemorative mini Moet bottle that will likely become a valued memento.

SOURCE PGA of America

Piper-Heidsieck hires UK Champagne Brand Ambassador Jean-Claude Di Lizia

Cecile Bonnefond, chief executive of Piper-Heidsieck has hired Jean-Claude Di Lizia, a dedicated UK Champagne brand ambassador to sell Piper-Heidsieck’s five champagne products in Britain.

Bonnefond, who ran Veuve Clicquot for nine years, said: “The UK is very sophisticated when it comes to champagne and the UK sets the tempo. It is a very important market for us – number two after France. We hope to grow our distribution and brand here.”

Bonnefond, who joined the French family-owned Societe Europeenne de Participations Industrielles (EPI) last year when it bought Piper-Heidsieck from spirits group Remy Cointreau, is restructuring the business and plans to take the brand more upmarket.

Bonnefond has recently launched “Black Cancan” designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier which was sold at Selfridges.

 

Liz Palmer

@Champagnehouses

Moët & Chandon is the official Champagne of The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)

This week Moët & Chandon has announced they are the Official Champagne of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). To complement its global partnership with the ATP World Tour, the partnership will also include Moët & Chandon as the Official Champagne of the LTA’s three summer grass court events, the AEGON Championships, the AEGON Classic and the AEGON International.

Jo Thornton, Managing Director Moët Hennessy UK said: “Showcasing success is one of Moët & Chandon’s original values, and one which clearly resonates with the AEGON Championships at The Queen’s Club. The Queen’s Club has a grand tradition of sportsmanship, incredible athleticism and a glamorous social scene. The intimacy of the tournament provides a rare closeness to the action on court, making spectators a real part of the excitement and celebration of victory, and the perfect match to Moët & Chandon’s heritage of sharing success and glamour with all.”

Specially designed Moët & Chandon bottles will be awarded to winners during the presentation ceremony.

LTA Head of Commercial Lawrence Robertson added: “We are delighted to welcome Moët & Chandon to the LTA’s family of sponsors. As a brand which is synonymous with celebration and style, we look forward to them bringing their own unique sense of both to each of our major grass court events in the coming summer.”

Liz Palmer
champagnehouses

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Will France’s Champagne vineyards be added to UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List?

 

The candidacy has been six years in the making and producers will have to wait until July 2014 to hear the decision.

 

The volume of fake champagne sold on the market is said to equal the stock of the real French product. That’s 330 million bottles, according to Jean-Luc Barbier, the director of the Interprofessional Committee of Champagne Wine (CIVC).

 

The competition is particularly unfair since fake bubbly is produced without respecting any of the traditional local rules of Champagne. Fakes rarely cost more than seven Euros, while an authentic Champagne bottle costs between 18 and 200 Euros, and more for exceptional vintages.

 

Champagne is not the first wine-producing region seeking the protection of the UNESCO classification. Five sites are already registered in the World Heritage List: Saint-Emilion, France, the Upper Douro Valley, Portugal, Tokaj Coast, Hungary, Lavaux, Switzerland and Pico Island, Azores.

Bollinger launches Champagne bottle that ‘slows ageing process’


Bollinger used the London International Wine Fair last week to unveil a unique 75cl bottle that mimics the shape of a magnum.

The new packaging was inspired by a 1846 bottle of Bollinger found in the company’s cellars.

Speaking at the launch, Bollinger CEO Jérôme Philippon advised that the switch was motivated by a desire “to develop a unique and authentic bottle for Bollinger”. “My objective is to further the differentiation of Bollinger: our taste is different and our bottle shape should be different, and unique to us,” Jérôme added.

He also explained that the new shape had a “side benefit”.

This is connected to the bottle’s slightly broader base and narrower neck, which ensures there is a reduced oxygen contact with the Champagne compared to a standard bottle.

This change should mean that oxidation of the Champagne in the bottle will take place at a slightly slower rate, which, Jérôme believes, will be somewhere between the rate for a standard bottle and a magnum.

According to Mathieu Kauffmann, Bollinger’s chef de cave, the bottle will ultimately deliver a better wine, and “In addition to the aesthetic reasons, using the shape of this new bottle, which is more like a magnum with a narrower neck and a wider base, should very slightly slow down the oxygen exchange and therefore give a better quality wine,” he said.

The new bottle’s appearance makes it look like a scaled down magnum, and Jérôme pointed out that the ratio of the new bottle’s diameter at the neck to the diameter at the base is closer to a magnum than it is to a standard bottle.

Format

Neck diameter (mm)

Base diameter (mm)

Ratio

Standard

29

85

0.34

Magnum

29

115

0.25

New 75cl

26

93

0.28